Robotics is the engineering and operation of machines that can autonomously or semi-autonomously perform physical tasks on behalf of a human. Typically robots perform tasks that are either highly repetitive or too dangerous for a human to carry out safely. The field of robotics has greatly advanced with several new general technological achievements. One is the rise of big data, which offers more opportunity to build programming capability into robotic systems. Another is the use of new kinds of sensors and connected devices to monitor environmental aspects like temperature, air pressure, light, motion and more. All of this serves robotics and the generation of more complex and sophisticated robots for many uses, including manufacturing, health and safety, and human assistance. The field of robotics also intersects with issues around artificial intelligence. Since robots are physically discrete units, they are perceived to have their own intelligence, albeit one limited by their programming and capabilities.